rabbit rabbit

So my time in New Orleans has been a bit of a wash. Spent most of it in my hotel due a combo of being hungover from Sunday and the air quality just getting to me something fierce. I don't know if it's just extra muggy, or something swampy is coming in, but the wafts of cigarette smoke I keep walking through are particularly bad. I think smoking is largely being phased out on the west coast, with all the distance laws, and very few of my friends are smokers, so being around a TON of smoke. Uhg.

So while I'd like to visit Roswell and Oklahoma City and Austin and Kansas City again, and camp some more in Missouri. I don't think I'll be in much of a hurry for New Orleans. I'm not into music enough to really get enthused about the venues and live music (which applies a bit towards Austin as well). Movies and art are the main attractors for me, when it comes to cities. Give me good theaters and awesome museums and nature. Oh and clean air. So it's like, visiting an awesome city is awesome but if there is nothing in it that is immediately I MUST SEE THIS, then it's really wasted on me.

But I did have some fun! On Sunday, I set out to Coop's to get the rabbit jambalaya which Garth recommended. It was nearby, which was awesome. There was a line at the restaurant, but I asked the dude working the door, "hey, what's the wait if you are just by yourself?" and he said "there is room at the bar" and he opened to door for me. Points for travelling by yourself!

So I got my jambalaya, which was amazing. It has everything in it, and rabbit is surprisingly tasty! The ladies next to me at Coop's were Kathrine and Shayla (I believe) and they were from New Jersey. They were spirited and awesome and they bought me drinks! Which is why I was hung over. Haha.

But yeah, they bought me a drink and this dude from across the bar bought us all drinks. And he tried to follow us to Cats Meow, a two story karaoke place, but we linked arms and ditched him in the crowd. Cats Meow was a melee. So many people drinking on a Sunday night! But it was a fun spectacle. Large crowds of people doing karaoke on a stage with back up dancers. Everyone was friendly. But I burned too bright too fast, and opted to return to my hotel while the going was good. I had put in the hotel in my GPS as a favorite, so it was easy to just pull it up and follow the instructions. Though I hadn't left the French Quarter so it was a short walk along crowded streets.

But oh I paid for it. I got out for a bit in the morning and got some beignets. But the open air and the smoking crowds at the cafe made me nauseous, so I returned to the hotel where the air was fresh and cooled. And I spent time just in my room, watching TV, hydrating, and slowly munching my way through beignets and carrots.

The first time I had a beignet was in Kyoto. I had some awesome ones at Brenda's in San Francisco.

In the late afternoon, I set out and walked around the city for a bit. A lot of establishments were closed due to it being Memorial Day, which was a bummer. Bars were open, but I wasn't about to make a repeat. So yeah, I just walked around. Lots of statues in New Orleans. It's a nice city, but oh the air got to me. I'd visit again, but maybe when I have more plans about what to do. I sort of just showed up without Googling activities, so I had no plans besides "being there". With Oklahoma City, I at least googled museums.

But it was nice to have a bed and shower and quiet for a couple nights. Almost been on the road four weeks now! Dang!

I could have later check out, but I kinda wanna hit the road. I've got my rest, I'm feeling better.

Sorry that New Orleans isn't a more exciting report. But I am getting a sense about what I want in a place to live.

south into the bayou

5/20/2014 10:15pm a rest stop right after Boonville, Missouri

I’ve finally figured out the best way to sleep in my car: I drape a pillow over the arm rest and drape my legs over that, so my feet are on the passenger’s seat. Then I have a pillow against the driver’s side door, so I am sleeping sorta sitting up, but it’s also slightly reclined. And the eye mask is wonderful. So I’m sitting like that right now at the rest stop. Hopefully I can get a good night sleep and not be bugged by a squirrel in my car. No sign of him, but it wasn’t a big rodent. Tomorrow I’ll drive into Columbia and get my oil changed. Then I’ll figure out what I want to do in Missouri. St. Louis? Mark Twain National Forest camping? There are options. I could do with some more camping. Two days in some state park that hopefully has a shower…

Anyway! Kansas City! Is a pretty cool city. It has a lot going on in lots of different areas, and woah is it warm. Also: heads up if you are visiting, lots of things are closed on Monday. And Tuesday. The main museum was closed today, but not the contemporary art museum. The Kemper. Kempler. The… that one. It had hammocks outside, and I took a late afternoon nap in one. Not a long nap, thankfully. I wasn’t burned. Interesting art installation to have: hammocks. I say more museums should have them. It’s a good feature. The museum had free admission, which was nice. Not a big museum. I saw some great Thiebaud etchings. I really liked Paula Rego’s Recreation. I found it odd that one of their pieces, the medium was described as “silkscreen ink”. Uhm… There are many kinds of ink that go through screens. Which one is it? Acrylic? Feh.

There was a Jamie Wyeth painting with a whole bunch of whale bones. Interesting bit of repetition in this trip, as there were actual whale bones at the last museum I visited.

My first stop in Kansas City wasn’t the museum, but Hammerpress. The letterpress studio where Karen interned years ago. I didn’t name drop her, I just procured a few cards and looked at all the nice letterpress stuff they had. The guy working the shop recommended I go to “Little Freshie” for a snow cone, which I did! I got the pear green tea cone and it was delicious. I ate it and read a bit of the Hockney biography. I wandered around that area for a bit, then drove on to the museums. I was suspicious of how easy it was to find parking wherever I went. Suspicious in that “can I really park here for free for under 3 hours?” way or the “is this actually a permit area and I’m going to get a ticket?” way or the “is this really a parking lane or are the other cars on the street delusional?” way. But no tickets!

After the museum (and hammock nap) I went to YJ’s Snackbar, at Karen’s suggestion. The dinner special was an hour and a half away, so I got an iced coffee and let my brain solidify after being melted in the heat. I read, I drew, I talked to one of the fellas in the café. It was a great hole in the wall, three tables inside with lots of flotsam on the wall type place. Very charming. The dinner special was a soul food plate: pork, muffin, mashed potatoes, mac n cheese, collared greens I think, rice with sausage. It was the perfect size to consume as well, and I gobbled it up! So good! I highly recommend YJ’s if you are ever in Kansas City.

Once my tummy settled, I hit the road. I opted to continue east on 70, as I was unsure if I wanted to go to St Louis or head down, but both would be options. And Columbia is a major intersection on the Interstates so I’ll figure it all out tomorrow. Once I get my oil changed.

And I should probably wash the bugs off the front of my car. There is starting to be a build up…

5/22/2014 Table Rock State Park, Missouri

Oh man, that night after writing that blog post! What a show. So that mouse (not a squirrel) was STILL IN MY CAR! It started scurrying about at 11 pm. I set out a bag with some candy in it, hoping it would go in the bag and I could snatch the bag and take it outside and release it far, far away from my car. But it didn’t take the bait. It continued scurrying about. I tried to lunge for it with a towel when it was on my dashboard, but no luck. Then I remembered: Walmart. Most are always open, and when I googled it, there was one 8 minutes away! So at 2:30am, I entered in my jammies, looking frazzled and tired and headed for the kill aisle. Traps! Poison! Hurray! I got some snap traps and set them with peanut butter and set them under my seat and on the dash board. And I waited… and the mouse didn’t go for them! I added some Ritz to the traps and set them both in the back, and the mouse did go for it! And I sat in my seat, still and eagerly awaiting the sound of the snap. But it never came. The mouse wasn’t setting off the traps! It just got the snack and … didn’t die! So I returned to Walmart and bought glue traps, because if it was too small to set off a trap, it should be small enough to get stuck in glue. When I returned to my car, the mouse was on my dash and quickly vanished into the steering column!! If it nibbled some wires that I need, I’m going to be so pissed (and hopefully not in a car accident). So I set a trap on the dash, two in the back, and one on the floor. The sun was starting to come up at this point, but I did get some sleep. And I was woken by the sounds of struggle from the floor glue trap. There it was! Caught! I grabbed a bag and quickly put the trap & mouse in the bag and poured out my water bottle into the bag, drowning the mouse and putting it out of its misery. I know there is a way to release a mouse from a glue trap using vegetable oil, but I didn’t want to buy yet another thing and at the end of the day: it was vermin. It wasn’t a lost animal that found its way into my car. It was a pest, it was getting into my dashboard, it would just find somewhere else to scavenge. It wouldn’t go “into the wild”. So I don’t feel bad about killing it.

At 7:30ish I wandered back into Walmart, changed, got a victory doughnut, and drove to Jiffy Lube. I got my oil changed and the Jiffy Lube manager told me that Table Rock State Park is a great park, so that is where I went! Though it was slow going. I had to stop and rest my eyes pretty often. Never got a full nap, but little bits here and there. It’s rough driving on just a few hours of sleep. And I wasn’t about to pump myself full of caffeine for, what, 4 hours of driving? I could take my time. And even taking my time, I still arrived with plenty of daylight.

Branson, Missouri is an interesting town to drive through. All the attractions seem to be family oriented, and run by families. Lots of team shows. Like a PG Vegas, but with no one I’ve ever heard of. I got a chocolate crème pie at a 50s diner and that was a nice cool treat. I drank a bunch of ice water too. Hydration is important! It was a short drive to the park, and there I got a site, returned to Branson and got a 5 dollar Subway footlong for dinner and breakfast, and got back to my site. Set up my tent. Had a lengthy, cherished shower, and then ate half my sandwich, worked on my scrap book and journal, then went to sleep right as the sun went down.

And oh did I sleep. It was warm, not windy or rainy, and just all around wonderful. I woke up 7ish and then just let myself nod back asleep. I’ll take my sleep when I can get it.

I showered once again in the morning, and had the other half of my sandwich. I think I’ll go find another State Park in Missouri, camp there, and then go down into Arkansas tomorrow. But first I need to restock my food: bread, PB&J, apples, carrots. Need em! This isn’t a big state, so it’ll probably be only (only!) 3 hours of driving.

3-4 hours: easy no problem, 4-6: oi this’ll take a while, 6+: well, I’ll just plan a day to drive towards there and find a rest stop.

5/25/2014 Suds n Stuff Laundry, Alexandria, Louisiana

Oops haven’t updated my blog in a while! I’m doing my laundry. I was running low on clean clothes, and due to how much I’ve been sweating I’m not about to rewear worn clothes. So I’m washing my clothes. I slept at a rest stop on I-20, and at just about 6 I set Alexandria into my GPS. But my GPS halted and I missed my exit, so I ended up taking much longer, but it was a beautiful scenic route. Just small roads winding through small towns with fluffy trees that I wish I could identify, and crops, and fields, and just beautiful scenery. Even a few herons. It was a great drive that reminded me of those accordion picturescapes, the way the trees came up in batches.

So I guess I left off at Table Rock. I got out of the campsite at the last minute allowed. I checked out the visitor’s center for the dam, and then decided that Lake Wappapello sounded great for camping. Catchy name. It was a nice drive across Missouri. It’s another surprisingly scenic state, but I guess being near the river creates for some lush landscapes. It isn’t dry like Texas and Kansas. It got dark. And then there was a lightning storm to my left. But that wasn’t wear I was going. It was just flashes far in the distance. I ended up pulling into a shop on the side of the road to ask them to show where I was on the map (GPS wasn’t getting satellite connectivity for whatever reason). Bless the shops that exist on roads that are not all the time traveled. The benefit of Interstates is the ubiquity of the same 5 shops, but they do become dull commonly tread vistas. I’ve been seeing lots of nice small towns, but more husks of towns with caved in buildings.

Anyway, I got into Lake Wappapello late at night, and got a spot for the night. The sounds of nature were so loud! Just insects going at it, and toads too probably. It was marshy and I swore to get some bug spray as soon as possible. No bug bites on this gal!

Noise aside, I did have a good rest. I got up early though, because in Missouri there is no self pay. Gotta pay the camp person. I like the self pay, because then you just put up a little ticket and people know you paid. Without it, there is the worry of some person bugging you to pay or maybe a fine for failure to pay! But just gotta play it camp by camp.

Wappapello was a boating lake, not really a swimming one. I prefer swimming. But I also like salt water. Fresh water lacks … substance.

Anyhoo. After Wappapello I went south on 67 towards Arkansas, and crossed the border in no time. My accent now absolutely singles me out.  67 goes diagonally down through Little Rock, then I swerved off to Hot Springs. No camping available at the nearest campground to the park, and the Hot Springs National Park is urban, not so much a park park. So it was in the downtown of the town of Hot Springs, and it was more buildings to visit than landscapes. I like the landscape parks. I decided to try Lake Ouachita State Park before deciding to sleep in my car, and there was a spot for the night! Spot 69, which was my spot at Wappapello as well. The tent site had a nice little platform, and it was in the woods. Really lovely park. I didn’t get one of the lakeview sites, but that’s okay. I came in at just under 13 minutes for tent set up. There was still plenty of daylight, so I went for a swim at one of the swimming spots. It was nice to get a bit of exercise after so much driving and driving.

I had a PB&J and showered and sat in my tent and read and had an early night sleep.

And an early morning due to my tire being flat! Someone left a note on my windshield, and also informed me when I crawled out of my tent in the morning. It was a full on obvious flat, so I doubt I would have missed it. But my camp neighbors came to my rescue! Thomas and William had my car jacked up and the spare tire on in less time than it took to unload my truck to get at the spare. I had rolled over a nail, which was thoroughly imbedded in the tire. Thankfully I bought road hazard insurance at Wal Mart! So all I had to do was drive to the nearest one and get it fixed for free. But seriously, William and Thomas (and Thomas’s daughter Alyssa who tended to the daddy long legs) were just great. How awesome to have helpful people like that around.

The Wal Mart was only 30 minutes away, by way of slower streets, and I got it repaired with nary a hitch, and then I was back up to Ouachita. I got my site packed up (blessedly, there was a 3pm check out) and I went down to Hot Springs. I got my journal stamped and did a little self tour of one of the historic bath houses, but to get an actual bath was thirty bucks! I’m not paying that to just get a bit of a soak. It was free at Big Bend! And that had better scenery.

I drove up to the Mountain Tower vista, then plugged in Monroe, Louisiana into my GPS and headed off. I crossed the border when there was still daylight. It was dark when I procured my bug repellant in Monroe, and 10 when I got to the rest stop. The weather is muggy, but not as hot, but muggy makes any heat worse.

So now it looks like my laundry has finished rolling in the dryer. Going to give it a feel. Might put in a few more quarters. One guy, Terry, commented that I look from out of town based on how I dress. If only he knew I never dress like I belonged anywhere. Haha.

5/25/2014 6:30 pm New Orleans, Louisiana

Got my laundry folded and filled up my tank and zoom I was outta there! I took the scenic route down 90, and it was lovely and scenic and warm. I treated my car to a car wash because it was getting a bit … dirty on the outside. And bug splattery. I finally, after 50+ dead ones on the road, saw a living walking armadillo! It was super cute. Hopefully it isn’t dead by the time I’m writing them. They don’t seem to have good odds.

Nothing too amazing happened on my way to New Orleans. Traffic only got dense when I was a minute from the hotel (which Dad cashed in some points for, thank you! I’ll enjoy having a bed and being able to walk around the French Quarter!). I checked in at 4:30ish. Unpacked way too much stuff from my car, but it would take longer to sort out 2 days worth of stuff than it would to just take half the stuff out of my car and lug it up. So my car is in valet, and I have two nights in New Orleans. I better get on that! I’m showered and ready to go. Garth recommended a place for po’boys, so I think that is dinner for me sorted. See you on the flip side!

Missouri

5/20/2014 10:15pm a rest stop right after Boonville, Missouri

I’ve finally figured out the best way to sleep in my car: I drape a pillow over the arm rest and drape my legs over that, so my feet are on the passenger’s seat. Then I have a pillow against the driver’s side door, so I am sleeping sorta sitting up, but it’s also slightly reclined. And the eye mask is wonderful. So I’m sitting like that right now at the rest stop. Hopefully I can get a good night sleep and not be bugged by a squirrel in my car. No sign of him, but it wasn’t a big rodent. Tomorrow I’ll drive into Columbia and get my oil changed. Then I’ll figure out what I want to do in Missouri. St. Louis? Mark Twain National Forest camping? There are options. I could do with some more camping. Two days in some state park that hopefully has a shower…

Anyway! Kansas City! Is a pretty cool city. It has a lot going on in lots of different areas, and woah is it warm. Also: heads up if you are visiting, lots of things are closed on Monday. And Tuesday. The main museum was closed today, but not the contemporary art museum. The Kemper. Kempler. The… that one. It had hammocks outside, and I took a late afternoon nap in one. Not a long nap, thankfully. I wasn’t burned. Interesting art installation to have: hammocks. I say more museums should have them. It’s a good feature. The museum had free admission, which was nice. Not a big museum. I saw some great Thiebaud etchings. I really liked Paula Rego’s Recreation. I found it odd that one of their pieces, the medium was described as “silkscreen ink”. Uhm… There are many kinds of ink that go through screens. Which one is it? Acrylic? Feh.

There was a Jamie Wyeth painting with a whole bunch of whale bones. Interesting bit of repetition in this trip, as there were actual whale bones at the last museum I visited.

My first stop in Kansas City wasn’t the museum, but Hammerpress. The letterpress studio where Karen interned years ago. I didn’t name drop her, I just procured a few cards and looked at all the nice letterpress stuff they had. The guy working the shop recommended I go to “Little Freshie” for a snow cone, which I did! I got the pear green tea cone and it was delicious. I ate it and read a bit of the Hockney biography. I wandered around that area for a bit, then drove on to the museums. I was suspicious of how easy it was to find parking wherever I went. Suspicious in that “can I really park here for free for under 3 hours?” way or the “is this actually a permit area and I’m going to get a ticket?” way or the “is this really a parking lane or are the other cars on the street delusional?” way. But no tickets!

After the museum (and hammock nap) I went to YJ’s Snackbar, at Karen’s suggestion. The dinner special was an hour and a half away, so I got an iced coffee and let my brain solidify after being melted in the heat. I read, I drew, I talked to one of the fellas in the café. It was a great hole in the wall, three tables inside with lots of flotsam on the wall type place. Very charming. The dinner special was a soul food plate: pork, muffin, mashed potatoes, mac n cheese, collared greens I think, rice with sausage. It was the perfect size to consume as well, and I gobbled it up! So good! I highly recommend YJ’s if you are ever in Kansas City.

Once my tummy settled, I hit the road. I opted to continue east on 70, as I was unsure if I wanted to go to St Louis or head down, but both would be options. And Columbia is a major intersection on the Interstates so I’ll figure it all out tomorrow. Once I get my oil changed.

And I should probably wash the bugs off the front of my car. There is starting to be a build up…

5/22/2014 Table Rock State Park, Missouri

Oh man, that night after writing that blog post! What a show. So that mouse (not a squirrel) was STILL IN MY CAR! It started scurrying about at 11 pm. I set out a bag with some candy in it, hoping it would go in the bag and I could snatch the bag and take it outside and release it far, far away from my car. But it didn’t take the bait. It continued scurrying about. I tried to lunge for it with a towel when it was on my dashboard, but no luck. Then I remembered: Walmart. Most are always open, and when I googled it, there was one 8 minutes away! So at 2:30am, I entered in my jammies, looking frazzled and tired and headed for the kill aisle. Traps! Poison! Hurray! I got some snap traps and set them with peanut butter and set them under my seat and on the dash board. And I waited… and the mouse didn’t go for them! I added some Ritz to the traps and set them both in the back, and the mouse did go for it! And I sat in my seat, still and eagerly awaiting the sound of the snap. But it never came. The mouse wasn’t setting off the traps! It just got the snack and … didn’t die! So I returned to Walmart and bought glue traps, because if it was too small to set off a trap, it should be small enough to get stuck in glue. When I returned to my car, the mouse was on my dash and quickly vanished into the steering column!! If it nibbled some wires that I need, I’m going to be so pissed (and hopefully not in a car accident). So I set a trap on the dash, two in the back, and one on the floor. The sun was starting to come up at this point, but I did get some sleep. And I was woken by the sounds of struggle from the floor glue trap. There it was! Caught! I grabbed a bag and quickly put the trap & mouse in the bag and poured out my water bottle into the bag, drowning the mouse and putting it out of its misery. I know there is a way to release a mouse from a glue trap using vegetable oil, but I didn’t want to buy yet another thing and at the end of the day: it was vermin. It wasn’t a lost animal that found its way into my car. It was a pest, it was getting into my dashboard, it would just find somewhere else to scavenge. It wouldn’t go “into the wild”. So I don’t feel bad about killing it.

At 7:30ish I wandered back into Walmart, changed, got a victory doughnut, and drove to Jiffy Lube. I got my oil changed and the Jiffy Lube manager told me that Table Rock State Park is a great park, so that is where I went! Though it was slow going. I had to stop and rest my eyes pretty often. Never got a full nap, but little bits here and there. It’s rough driving on just a few hours of sleep. And I wasn’t about to pump myself full of caffeine for, what, 4 hours of driving? I could take my time. And even taking my time, I still arrived with plenty of daylight.

Branson, Missouri is an interesting town to drive through. All the attractions seem to be family oriented, and run by families. Lots of team shows. Like a PG Vegas, but with no one I’ve ever heard of. I got a chocolate crème pie at a 50s diner and that was a nice cool treat. I drank a bunch of ice water too. Hydration is important! It was a short drive to the park, and there I got a site, returned to Branson and got a 5 dollar Subway footlong for dinner and breakfast, and got back to my site. Set up my tent. Had a lengthy, cherished shower, and then ate half my sandwich, worked on my scrap book and journal, then went to sleep right as the sun went down.

And oh did I sleep. It was warm, not windy or rainy, and just all around wonderful. I woke up 7ish and then just let myself nod back asleep. I’ll take my sleep when I can get it.

I showered once again in the morning, and had the other half of my sandwich. I think I’ll go find another State Park in Missouri camp there, and then go down into Arkansas tomorrow. But first I need to restock my food: bread, PB&J, apples, carrots. Need em! This isn’t a big state, so it’ll probably be only (only!) 3 hours of driving.

3-4 hours: easy no problem, 4-6: oi this’ll take a while, 6+: well, I’ll just plan a day to drive towards there and find a rest stop.

keep it trill in topeka

Viva coffee shops and their omnipresence. Can always rely on one to be open and for one to have wifi, and if I'm lucky...power outlets. In the past few days I've wandered into several McDonald's just to see they had no outlets and thus I continue on. It's really just the laptop that needs to charge, as the MP3 player and phone can be done in the car. But I can't be self conscious. Gotta own that "I need to let people know I'm not totally vanished into America" attitude.

So here I am at a Starbucks in Topeka, Kansas. The server asked me to spell my name and then he told me it was "baller".

I spent most of yesterday just driving. Getting to and through Kansas. I looked at the map and nothing really stirred me besides Kansas City (Karen was there for a while, if you remember, she told me to see the museum and ask for the daily special at YT's, and as I haven't been to an art museum yet, I think I'll do just that). So sorry Kansas, you are getting a quick pass through. State number 9! 39 to go.

Oklahoma City was nice, but being there early on a Sunday meant that most things were closed/wouldn't open till noon or later. So I walked around a bit. It was foggy and almost rainy. Mist engulfed the tops of some buildings, but it was lifting. But yeah, Oklahoma City reminds me of Tacoma. Like the downtown area that is trying to look nicer and be nicer (and they have a Chihuly collection sooo) and it spreads out.

I tooled around town and talked to Pa about car stuff. Then I got to the Museum of Osteology right as it opened at 1. What a COOL MUSEUM! OH MY GOD! I cannot emphasize how awesome it is. The exhibits were succinct and well compiled and just so various. So many different skeletons. Baboons, tarsiers, they had a SAIGA SKULL!!!, snakes, human skulls, deformed skulls, manatees, giraffe... just so many. It was spectacular. And just across the board wonderful. I killed the battery on my camera taking pictures...and then the battery on my phone. Hahah. And still I feel like I only captured a tenth of what they had to offer.

Just wonderful. Well worth the journey, absolutely.

I went to Wal Mart and got new front tires because mine were worn down. It was amazingly not $400! Now my car has nice tires with which to tackle the road. The endless, ongoing road. This section of America is largely flat, though the greens and yellow of Oklahoma are very nice. I opted to stay at Great Plains State Park. I'm so tired of driving with the wind coming at my car from the side. A nice tail wind would be nice, but nope, constantly driving keeping straight against nature. Still, better than snow.

Got to the park after dark, and the awesome camp lady told me she wouldn't charge me! And Shawn, one of the park workers helped me set up my tent on account of it being VERY VERY WINDY. He even procured some cinderblocks and string and helped me set it up so that it was extra secure against the wind. I didn't bother putting the top on, as that would just blow up and down and against the tent. And I left the windows open (with the mesh up) so the wind would go through the tent, instead of pushing against it. Then I threw on my eye mask (I bought an eye mask) and went to sleep. It wasn't the best night sleep, but I did get some shut eye. Valley of Fire was noisier.

In the morning one of the younger park helpers flirted with me a little as I was breaking down my site. And he blew me a kiss as I drove away. And that guy in Austin proposed marriage to me. And the teller at Starbucks said my name was baller. I guess I'm really appealing in the midwest? Pretty much never got flirted with in Santa Cruz.

I drove through the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge. Saw some bison and cattle and some nice rolling hills. And then I set about driving north east on 44 and then north on 35 which turned into 135 and then east on 40. I stopped at one of the last rest stops before Topeka and settled in. All was well until it became evident a squirrel was in my car. I quickly put all my food into my cooler so no crumbs were sitting out. I opened all the doors and banged the side of my car. And right when I dozed off (that eye mask I bought was a smart choice, it shut out all the lights from the rest stop) I felt it scurry across me. I repeated the process a couple times. And eventually was able to nod off. I heard nothing of the little bugger in the morning and so I continued on to Topeka. Hopefully he left while the leaving was good.

And now I go to take on a new day and new states and new whatever happens!

mochlahoma city (I'm sorry for that pun)

I am sitting in Coffee Slingers in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. I ordered a mocha. A regular mocha, no iced. It's foggy outside and a bit...Pacific Northwest in general climate. Actually the city reminds me a lot of Tacoma. Have I written up my theory on the familiarity of places?

My thinking (based on a podcast education and sciency tidbits) is that the brain only processes so much new visual input, so a lot of extraneous detail in the surroundings gets duplicated with previous input. Like if you see a big dark building in your periphery, the brain just draws from previous memories of big dark buildings instead of processing all the details fresh. So when you are somewhere really new it's like WOW all this new stuff it's all so DIFFERENT. But then once you've been there for a while, it stops being new input. But also when you are places that are sorta familiar, you are getting recycled data filling in the blanks, so Oklahoma City can feel like Tacoma just as parts of downtown San Jose feel like downtown Portland. It's an idea.

So yeah, Oklahoma City feels like Tacoma thus far.

I don't have much battery remaining. I was up late watching TV on my computer in my car at an I35 rest stop.

I wanted to check out Mondo Gallery before I left Austin, but it didn't open till noon. So I had a slow start. Caught up on internet stuff. The gallery was pretty neat. There is a Mike Mitchell portraiture exhibit up right now. Just nice, dynamic side portraits of Marvel characters.

After that I poured the ice water out of my cooler and hit the road. It was only 5-6 hours to Oklahoma City, but I didn't have anywhere to crash, so I opted to just stop at the last rest stop before OKC. So I took my time and listened to podcasts.

Texas has some REALLY nice rest stops. Like gym equipment, play ground, many covered areas, nice bathroom, full vending machines, interactive displays. Really nice full on rest stops.

But the instant I got to Oklahoma, the scenery improved ten fold. I don't know what happened, but over the border there suddenly were trees and hills and greenery, instead of vast expanses of... plains. Texas has that feeling of going on forever. Which is does. I spent four nights in Texas, and it was a lot of driving to get to Big Bend and Austin and then not so much driving to get out of Austin, but it was still all north on one interstate.

I passed by two car accidents and two flat tires on the way up. I don't know if that is an omen or just Texas.

Oh! And I was only honked at once in Texas, and for the same reason I get honked at everywhere (unwillingness to take a free right on a red) so whoo! No bad experiences in this state. Actually I had a lot of good experiences. Maybe because I went the National Park & hip city route, instead of.... Houston.

But yeah, Oklahoma City. Then Kansas and over to Missouri. Let's have some fun!

freebies and fun

My day in Austin started with doughnuts and ended with getting free tee shirts from this local company that made this hovering taser bot that was featured on CNN.

But I think you want to know the details, and I'll start at the start and go chronologically because that is how I do.

I had a restless night sleep, probably due to that mocha. I didn't sleep it. I got up, had a much needed shower, and set about equipping myself for the day. I even put on a smidge of makeup to look nicer.

First up: Gourdough's. A doughnut shop Rachel recommended for me. I parked in a residential neighborhood near the converted airstream that was the doughnut shop. Ohhh food trucks, I didn't know how much I missed you! They are the best idea and Santa Cruz really should have them.

I don't find myself missing Santa Cruz as a place.

Anyway. I ordered the "the puddin'" which is a creme filled doughnut with creme cheese and bananas on top. Oh it was massive and decadent and just over the top. And of course it was good. But much too big for one person. Totally a sharing type doughnut.

It was a beautiful day. 80-90 degrees, sunny. Perfect walking weather. So I walked up and down 1st street a bit. I returned to my car and headed to see one of the sites Ivar wrote down for me. It was this "cathedral of junk" which is this house with all these odd ball constructions and things, but it was $10 to really check it out and I was like... naaaah. So I headed out. A reoccuring theme for the day was driving back and forth across Austin, but Austin like Santa Cruz only seems to take 15 minutes to drive anywhere. And even when traffic backed up, it didn't stay that way for long and I rarely had trouble finding parking.

I checked out the pink granite capital building and got a crushed penny. In the visitor's center they had a hall devoted to the time Texas tried to do its own thang, and they had reproductions of the money of the time. That was neat. From the capitol building I parked again in a residential area near Congress street and walked up and down there. They had some neat antique shops, but their old photos were vastly over priced (any old photo of some rando shouldn't be more than a buck) and they were selling letterpress type for five bucks a pop! Like 1) that type is still useable and 2) FIVE BUCKS for a little LETTER M??? What? Stupid. There was a candy shop and I got some candy, of course. And at an awesome book shop that has all the pretty editions of books (and was selling an 11 year old copy of Shounen Jump for ten bucks which was also stupid like those type pieces) I picked up the Hockney biography I've had my eye on for a few years. Hard back, but cheaper than the used copies were at Logos in Santa Cruz. So I'm stoked to read that on my journey. Love his work, and he is still making work. The biography only goes up so far. Haha.

I came to the end of the funky shop section of Congress, so I returned to my car and went to find a park to sit in. I found one, sat and wandered around a bit. Then I drove on. Then I spent a bit of time just driving around Austin. It's a pretty easy city to drive around. I snacked. It's not a bad city at all. I'd like to come back and spend some time doing the more museum/venue type things. But I had one main thing to do: see a movie at the Alamo Drafthouse. So I bought a ticket to the 5:10 showing of Godzilla, and I ordered some beer and a grilled cheese to come to me whilst I watched the movie.

Oh and I just ended up paying to park downtown, because I wanted my car nearby but I also wanted to wander up and down 6th after the showing of Godzilla.

Anyway, the theater had assigned seats and this guy Stephen (Steven?) was assigned next to me. Nice guy. During Godzilla, which was fun by the way and it didn't go the way I was expecting it to and it didn't drag it's heels on certain plot points, Stephen and I snickered at the same things and grinned excitedly when Godzilla did Godzilla things. He was a good movie buddy. All in all, it was a great movie experience. I love good theaters.

Music was playing from every other bar. I was lured into one with no cover, so I ordered a whiskey and updated my journal. They finished their set (they were all right, no Odd Owl of course) and I continued out. I struck up a brief conversation with the guy who told me to come into the bar in the first place, and I forget exactly what I said but he thought I was awesome and he asked me to marry him. But he hasn't read Hitchhiker's Guide so NO DICE. So I walked on till the street turned into business land, and looped around. I went into the Elephant Room for a bit but the musician wasn't set to play for another hour so I continued on. Some bars had bands playing to near empty rooms, and I felt bad for them but not enough to go in and support them because they weren't all that.

I swung by my car and swapped my shoes. Then I returned to sixth unsure of what to do: return to the jazz club? Go back to that no cover place? Wander more? But then Stephen showed up and was like "hey, what are you up to?" and I was like "nothing" and so we hung out. We went to this club that had no cover because I was with him and he knew the people there. It was early in the night still so it wasn't hoppin'. Stephen bought me a beer (a Coors, which I forgot makes me feel ill in the morning even if I drink one) and we chatted about travel and whatnot. It was his birthday! 25! It was fun to be introduced to people as someone on a road trip and how me met just a few hours prior at Godzilla due to being both there on our own. Stephen works for a tech company in town, and he showed me his office because he had to swing by there to charge his phone. I was just in the mood for hanging out. Plus after that Coors it became "time to sober up for a few hours so I can drive back to the couch I'm crashing on". I got a freebie water from his company AND he gave me four free shirts! Booyah. And they are a pretty cool logo, so I know I'll wear them. Haha.

Anyway, once his phone was charged a bit, we went back to that one bar. Later in the night we got separated when he went outside to take a call and I went to the bathroom. I talked to this Ukrainian guy who had been in America for 6 days and would be in Austin for a few more months. His English was very good and he was wearing a very cool jacket.

So with my bag stuffed with free shirts and a day of good memories and walking about, I headed back to Colin's house and couch. I definitly had a good day in Austin. I could stay longer but I'd just spend more money. I should play it frugal these next few states. Which will be Oklahoma and Kansas. I don't know what I'll be doing in these states. I think I'll set today's GPS for Oklahoma City. Tool around, maybe grab a bit to eat, and then drive till a rest stop. Or something. I dunno. Maybe I should just focus on getting out of Texas.

Ohhh Museum of Osteology! That sounds cool.

Okay, I'm having tea and now I guess my blog is written up. Time to pack and head out and knock a few more states down. I hope that being done with Texas means the states will go faster. Two weeks of travel!

In the first two weeks, I drove 3265 miles at 43.8 mpg.

and now I enter Texas

5/15/2014 2:34pm a rest stop on Highway 10 headed east

Okay. Carlsbad Caverns are a must. An absolute must in terms of Nationl Park visits & cool freaking caverns. Easily the best caverns I’ve ever visited. Make sure you get there early because 1pm is the last tour and they stop letting people go in the natural entrance (this long winding switchback path from outside into the caverns) at 2:30 and the last lazy person elevator goes down at 3:30pm. I highly recommend the natural entrance, as it is rather fun to descend and see all the formations and have the natural light slip away. On the way down, I had a nice chat with another solo traveler who was headed to Austin and was in Zion at the same time I was! The giveaway was mutual rain in Zion anecdotes. Oh, and he lives in Portland. Small world.

I managed to get a few good photos of the caverns, can’t wait to post them. But oh so cool. Really just amazing. I spent a good two plus hours wandering around down there. Too bad they are so far from anything, but they are in the middle of going someplaces. Since I opted to head South to Texas, I was able to see them and continue on pretty easily.

Now here is the thing about Big Bend National Park: the GPS will tell you it’s 4 hours. This is to the park entrance. It won’t tell you about the additional ~30 miles to the visitors center nor the ~12 miles to the campground. And when you are driving in the dark with animals frequently deciding NOW is the perfect time to cross the road…well it adds a lot more time to your driving. Also I lost another hour due to time zone, so what was supposed to be a 9pm arrival, became 11. But there were plenty of campsites and it was $14 a night instead of $30. I paid for two nights and set up my tent and collapsed into what ended up being one of my best nights sleep yet.

Shorts weather has returned! Big Bend National Park gets points for expansiveness and birds (I heard lots of distinct bird calls, all of which Mom could probably identify). Points are deducted for being really, really far away from everything and just having to spend a lot of time driving to stuff. I flashed my annual member badge at one of the visitor’s center (so big, they have more than one!) and got my N.P. WPA post card. Then I saw a hot spring was on the map, so off I went! The road was narrow and winding and rough but worth it. But dang was it rough. The roughest one I’ve been on yet. I was glad to be in a little car. The hot spring was amazing. Just a little natural one off the side of the river (not the Rio Grande). There were a couple Bavarians in the pool, as well as a family. The young son of the family told me to check out Six Street in Austin.

Another note about Big Bend: by far the most amount of people visiting from in state at any National Park I’ve been too. Very few foreigners/out of stateians.

So I soaked in the hot pool and alternated swimming in the river. Cold hot cold hot. And I read Song of the Quarkbeast and soaked up some sun. I think my freckles are coming in nicely.

I got some ice cream and ice and returned to my campsite and took a nap. I hiked a little at a near trail, then tucked into bed and finished The Rosie Project. I’m getting so much reading done!

I slept in again after another pretty good night sleep. Warmth and not a lot of wind and no rain/snow makes for a pretty good night sleep, as it turns out. Haha.

I packed up and headed out at 10:20amish. Marathon, the nearest town to the park, is 70 miles from Panther Junction, which is the main junction & visitor’s center in the park. I went through Marathon and up north into Fort Stockton. I filled my tank, I got some food (celery and carrots and apples and Pringles) and plugged in Austin and… it’s less than 6 hours away! I was expecting a day of hard driving and a night at a rest stop. But nope! And through my friend Abbie I think I have a place to stay in the city so that is awesome. I’ve stopped at a rest stop, and soon I’ll hit the road with an MP3 player full of tunes.

Oh, and Roswell reminded me of Santa Cruz in some way. Just with aliens instead of Surfers. It’s thus far the first town I’ve breezed through that I would have liked to have roamed around a bit more. Checked out the museum. A town where a Starbucks is filled with old familiars is a town indeed.

12:51 pm a friend of a friend’s house in Austin

So much driving. But it went really well. Thus far I have experienced no Texan aggression at my car. But I also keep pace with traffic and I’ve never been an outright awful driver. My friend Abbie from school (a yoga buddy) works at Boudin Creek Café, so I had that plugged into my GPS. It was a busy time at the café, but that was fine. I got a mocha (which wasn’t wise as now I’m feeling tired but also wired) and a big big salad to stuff my body with some much needed greens. I nibbled and let my body slow down from all that driving. So much driving. 5 hours is actually quite a bit. When anything under 6 shows up on my GPS I think “oh that isn’t so bad” but yeah… it’s a lot of time to spend with your brain consistently active. It’ll be good to walk around tomorrow and do little things. I’m going to check out a doughnut place and see a movie at the Alamo Drafthouse. The Drafthouse is my #1 for Austin. I’ve gotten lots of food recommendations, and venues to check out, but I’m not good at random music shows and stuff. I’m not much of a foodie. I have a lot of boonie dweller habits that I haven’t yet broken. I sometimes feel that cities are wasted on me. On this trip, when I open my atlas I look for parks over cities. I know what to do with a tent. And when it gets dark, I read for a few hours.

I guess this trip is really making me think about what I do with my time, which is good because what I want to do should play into where I want to be. Hmm.

cloudy skies over Roswell, NW

5/11/2014 4:36 pm

I’m in the campground registration area, trying to get onto their wifi. Morefield Campground at Mesa Verde was more expensive than I was expecting. Not sure if I am regretting staying for two nights. The first night was a bit rough on account of the wind, rain, hail, and thunder and lightning. The lightning was pretty far away, so I wasn’t worried about getting struck in my tent. My current method for staying warm is to layer my blankets in my sleeping bag, and then zip it all up into a burrito of warmth. It’s been working pretty well. Though no amount of warmth well put me to sleep when the sky is booming. And some water got in the tent, because it isn’t waterproof. The top thingy covers the mesh, but if the rain is tagging along with the wind, it’ll get in.

Perry made a tasty scramble for breakfast and Rosi restocked my cooler with ice. How nice!

My first stop was the Anderson Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum. I’ve come all this way, might as well visit the museum! And it was great. The exhibits were well put together and they acknowledged Sophie Blanchard as a balloonist. There was a nice amount of history and I loved all the antiques with balloon decorations. A really swell museum. Of course I crushed a penny in their penny crusher.

Then I was on the road to the four corners. I wanted to get there before sun down, so that my photo op wouldn’t be in the dark. And as I found out it closed at 7pm, it was good that I got a move on like I did. It was a scenic drive up and over. I crossed through many small towns. I wonder what keeps people in these small towns? Maybe I’m just not seeing the job making thing. Like the shipyard does for Kitsap.

I cruised into the four corners at 6:30. There was a nice crowd of people, but I got my chance at a photo op with my feet splayed across Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona. Fun! Surrounding the four corners were local merchant stalls. There are lots of Native craft stalls. Did I mention that I bought a necklace at one of them in Arizona?

Colorado is calling me, so I drove North towards Cortez. I bought some lip balm at Wal Mart and got some cash back for cash type purchases. It was still light when I got to Mesa Verde at 8:12pm. The visitors center was closed, as was the campground check in, so I found a spot and pitched my tent and put my jammies on and got to bed early. Then I was woken up again and again by the weather. At just before 7 (Colorado time) the thunder and lightning abated. It was an exciting way to be sleep deprived.

I paid for my spot in the morning, and signed up for a second night. I think I’ll be doing some car camping to save some money for a little while. National Parks and camping get pricey. I’m only six states in. I have 42 to go!

So. Mesa Verde! It really is a park that can be done in a day. Though some of the cliff dwellings couldn’t be accessed due to the season. I drove down to the Visitor’s Center, where you have to buy tickets for the ranger tours of the dwellings (you can’t just play on your own in them). But the tour tickets are only $4, so that’s not so bad. I was worried they’d be $20.

I got the 11:30 Cliff Palace and 2pm Balcony tours. Left a little time between for relaxing.

I’m really glad I packed layers, I tell you what. Today is a pants and shirt and sweatshirt day, and then later another layer. It was windy and cold and every now and again some snow would fluff from the sky. I’m going to continue up into Colorado, and I sure hope it doesn’t SNOW snow. I’d turn around if that happened. I really want to see this giant hot spring in Ouray.

Cliff Palace was pretty neat. Unfortunate that it has been rebuilt by modern people, funny that it was obvious what was rebuilt due to how shoddy it looked, and awesome to see this centuries old architecture that has remained to this day. Part of the path required ascension of a ladder. It wasn’t bad, though it wouldn’t make much lack of fitness to not be able to do it.

Between tours, I read and ate and painted my nails just for funsies. I think I preferred Balcony. There was much more time to check out the construction, and we were allowed to navigate more of it than Palace, which was restricted (for good reason). Also the path in and out of Balcony was amusing to say the least. There was a large ladder we all had to climb to get up into the dwelling. Two people could climb shoulder to shoulder at the same time, and everyone in our group made it! No one fell off, though some people went slow. And there is a narrow space between rocks you have to slide through after the ladder. And! To get out of Balcony, you have to crawl on your hands and knees through a small tunnel. And climb another ladder. And ascend some stone steps with chains to cling onto. Very fun. Unless you are afraid of heights or claustrophobic or can’t lift your knees all that high.

From there, I drove and did some of the scenic view points. Now I think I’m done with the park and can just head out in the morning for further adventure. But first I’ll take advantage of their showers.

5/12/2014 9:44pm at a rest stop just past Moriarty, New Mexico

Oh dang so I totally was woken up by snow caving in the sides of my tent. I slapped it off and went back to sleep. My whole last evening was me snuggled in warm reading. It was really nice. Then morning came and everything was covered in two inches of snow! Argh. So I had to pack everything up whilst being cold. Thankfully I had my ice scraper in my car. Thankfully I packed warmer layers. It was not fun. But oh what a relief to drive into town. I just swapped out my jammie bottoms for pants. I didn’t change anything else. I put on fresh clothes in a McDonald’s in Durango, after about an hours’ worth of driving out of the park and through Cortez. I bought some food at McDonald’s and caught up a bit with my correspondence, as Mesa Verde lacked good cell reception and working wifi.

Then I headed north because Jeff told me had Ouray had uber hot springs. Some the size of a football field! There was snow on the ground, but the roads were clear and gritted. It was fine going over the first mountain pass, and the second, but once I got to Silverton (after over an hour driving winding roads that lack guard rails) it was clear that the winter storm warning that popped up on my GPS was serious. The temperature was dropping as I came to Red Mountain Whatever Pass, and wind was blowing the snow across the road, reducing visibility. I was probably about 15 miles from Ouray, but an hour of hot spring soaking was not worth it so I turned around. And good thing too, as the roads had worsened considerably on the way back. It was snowing (but not sticking and the roads remained gritted and dry) and visibility was, I dunno, 60 feet? Before I could see the mountains around me and oh they were beautiful, but now it was a mostly obfuscated view to my right, and the winding road in front of me. But I got through all right, and as elevation stopped being 10000, it cleared up. I got a pick me up in Durango and continued on 550 south. GPS wanted me to head east through Colorado, but I said NOPE because I wanted to get south away from the impending storm as fast as possible. So sure it was the road I was on before just a few days ago, but it wasn’t a bad road and it would only be for a few hours. I got across Albuquerque before sunset, and got onto 40 east once more. I stopped at one of the fancy gas stations and got a hot dog. They had showers, but they were 12.99. A few more miles down the road was a rest stop, which was awesome because my eyes were starting to bug.

5/13/2014 10:12 AM Starbucks in Roswell, New Mexico

I didn’t sleep all too well, but I did get some shut eye. Odd how it is less noisy in a car, yet the near road noise kept me up just as much as the wind against my tent. Maybe the difference of sleeping reclined versus fully stretched out makes the restfulness difference?

I got up, changed into fresh clothes, and started warming up my car. I did a few loops in the parking lot and then hit the road. Took the 285 exit offa 40 and headed south. The temperature increased, but it remains overcast. I swung into a Starbucks in Roswell to use their internet and get a mocha. Mochas are now my coffee drink, it would seem. Now I shall update my blog. Till we meet again!

a day in ABQ

Had a nights sleep with no wind gusting my tent off or rain. That was nice. I woke up really early though. My body is hours behind. Or ahead? Or something. I don't know. I'm actually looking forward to setting up my tent. I like amenities, but there is something nice about being wrapped in blankets inside a sleeping bag. Nice isn't the right word for it, but I've been enjoying it. Tomorrow I am shooting for Mesa Verde. GPS says 4 hours. I want to check out the balloon museum first. So I'll set an alarm and try to get out of here at a good early hour.

Rosi and Perry are amazing. Such kind, wonderful people. I'm glad to have such a broad family that is largely inclusive and excellent.

Perry scrambled me some eggs with salami for breakfast, and I had a cuppa tea.

Then we went for a little drive around Albuquerque. Perry took me to some of the Breaking Bad filming locations (at my request and I provided the addresses as he hasn't seen Breaking Bad). I saw the dam where the pick up happened, and I saw Walter and Skylar's house and Hank and Marie's. That was cool. They are just tucked in neighborhoods, like any other house.

I showed Perry what a penny crusher is (he had no idea that penny crushing was a thing!) by using my penny crusher locator app and crushing a penny in the machine in this store in Old Town. We also checked out this great old church and had lunch at High Noon. We both had enchiladas.

He had an errand to run at 3, so we returned to the house. I mellowed out and wrote some postcards and had some more tea. Nice to sit and not have to be doing something.

Dinner was home made salmon burgers and home made tartar sauce and salad. Mmmm so good. So full. I ate so much today. If only the human body worked in such a way that you could eat a lot for one day and then not much at all for the next few days. We hung around and chatted. Their home is really nice and open, with great views. It'll be fun to see all these different kinds of architecture as I go east. The stucco adobe style is new to me.

I decided to see the 10:10 showing of Jim Jarmusch's Only Lovers Left Alive. It's this artsy vampire movie with Tilda Swinton and Tom Hiddleston. The music and visuals were solid. It was a vampire movie lacking the main vampire stuff, like attacking people and gore and gratuitous feeding scenes. I dug it. Now I need to put the ticket stub somewhere safe, to save it with the rest of my stubs.

So. Balloon museum & the four corners & mesa verde. It's a big day tomorrow!

waking in Utah, sleeping in Arizona, waking in Arizona, sleeping in New Mexico

I've spent two days largely driving. Getting from state to state to state. Can't spend three nights in every state, or else it'll be winter when I get to Maine! But I'm really loving the landscapes that I've been seeing. In a park I can get face to face, but driving contextualizes it all. Spending the hours slowing rising in elevation and having it open up before you.

I can't recommend 89a from Zion's east entrance to Flagstaff enough. An absolutely beautiful drive. I left Zion at around 1pm, and it was raining. Bummer for the people entering the park, but hey I was leaving! It was a gentle rain, and it wasn't difficult to drive in in the slightest. The east entrance is the one that goes through the tunnel. It was the scenic drive, and not through Springdale. No backtracking to get to Flagstaff. The surroundings started as farm, and went through several by now familiar rock formations and then became more wooded as elevation increased. It was a two lane road for most of the way, with very little company and just land on either side as far as the horizon allowed. And ohhh it took my breath away when the trees receded and the grade of the road went down and just the vast expanse was before me. Thankfully there was a scenic pull off point, and I pulled right off and just gawped. Arizona is Arizona, but damn if it isn't big and beautiful too. I didn't stop to do any drawings, but I took photos which I plan to turn into reference. Because I really want to spend time doing some of these landscapes justice, because I'm really in love with them right now. All this horizon, and so much more to go!

And the fluffiness of the clouds!!

It was raining almost all through my last few hours in Zion. I packed up a damp tent hoping that at the next stop, I'll be able to set it up and let it dry. There wasn't an immediate demand for camping spots like there was when I found mine. I guess weekdays are less busy, especially rainy ones. I packed up, ate a bit, then parked at the visitor's center and took the shuttle to get the last few things checked off in my Junior Ranger packet. I caught an Animals of Zion ranger lecture and learned that male turkeys go seeking a mate with their brother acting as a wingman. I filled out my packet, and said the oath, and was sworn in as a Junior Ranger. So on that happy note I packed up to head out towards Petrified Forest National Park under the idea that I would be camping there. I did not know that 1) it closes at 7:30 and 2) the only camping is the trek into wilderness style, which while I don't mind camping in tent sites I'm not about to trek a mile to set up a tent. Travel and learn!

And Arizona was beautiful to drive across on the 89a route. Fluffy clouds and no traffic. And gas was consistently around 3.50 a gallon! I curved around Flagstaff without stopping. I grabbed some snacks in Gap when I topped off my tank, so I was good to go. I've also been eating lotsa celery!

It was getting dark, and I got to Petrified Forest at 7:48 and they closed fully at 7:30, so I backtracked to Homolovi State Park. Wish I had known they closed, because I could have had a site set up and gotten to bed a lot earlier than I had. But hey, a hot shower is a hot shower! And no time limits, unlike Zion with its "$5 for 5 minutes". Annnnddd after my shower, I locked my keys in the trunk. But I had my tent set up. The only thing I was without was food, but I wasn't hungry. So I vowed to call AAA in the morning, watched some TV on my laptop and went to sleep.

And the locksmith arrived about 30 minutes after the call, and my car was unlocked and there were the keys in my trunk! Victory!

I took advantage of the shower and ate some food. I checked out the visitor's center and did a little walk, and then I set out for Petrified Forest. This time for real. And since there was no camping, I figured I would sleep on the side of the road and continue on to Albuquerque in the morning.

But I ended up driving through most of the park. I did walk around a bit and look at some of the cool fossils, but I was feeling lethargic and not really up for heavy duty parking. So at 4pm, I called cousin Perry and began my journey east. Only 4ish hours! But then I lost an hour going across the border.

I filled up my tank. I even put in some fuel injector cleaner as a little treat. My car is doing so well. 1600 miles and counting!

It's odd to drive with the sun setting behind me. Normally it's in my eyes or to one side. The Pacific Ocean is so far away now. Aside from Flordia, I've only been as far East as Colorado. And Florida doesn't count for anything. It's its own thing.

ABQ at night is a blanket of lights. No real towers, or bright centers of light. Just lots of little points of light spread out across the land. And it was easy to merge into proper lanes. No real traffic. I got to Perry and Rosie's at 9pm, brought some of my stuff in and took a shower. Then they gave me tea and cheesecake and we chatted about things to see here and maybe in Santa Fe as well.

Should be a fun few days. Won't have to buy gas for a while.

last day in Zion

“What can I start you with?” “I’ll have the meat lovers and hot tea.”

5/6/2014 8:16 am MeMe’s Café, Springdale

Thus begins another long blog entry, written whenever and posted whenever. The café does not have wifi, but ehhh I don’t really care. Now I know I can just hover outside the bar at the end of the day and get their internet. Today I am going to take on Angel’s Landing. One of the more strenuous hikes. I’m starting with a big breakfast, and I’m going to load up my watercolors and markers. No ink. Not for now.

Angel’s Landing and work on my Junior Ranger Badge.

6:59 pm Zion Canyon Brewpub

I wanted to use a power cord. And do the Internet thing because I’ll be driving again come tomorrow. Don’t want to leave Zion, but I could really spend a whole week here. But I must be on my way.

So in town showers at $5 for 5 minutes! That is such bull!

After a sizeable crepe breakfast, I drove up the scenic route again. Just wanted to let my tummy settle before I set out on a hike. There were several classic cars on the drive. Including cars with fins! My favorite. I didn’t get any photos of them, on account of driving my car when I saw the cars and that being a dangerous thing to do.

So I returned to my campsite, loaded up art supplies which I ended up not using, worked on my Junior Ranger packet. Once I completed as much of it as I could at my site, I walked to the visitor’s center and continued working on it. Then I headed up to The Grotto shuttle stop and began the trek to Angel’s Landing. It would be a 5 mile round trip, though really it’s 2.5 up then the same 2.5 down. And when I say up, oh it was UP. It was a gradual paved meander, which got more and more vertical, then it started switchbacking. I would look up and see people high up on the cliff walls and think “that’ll be me in 20 minutes”. And I’d keep going. There was a part where it was flat as the trail cut between two cliffs. And then the more intense switchbacks started to happen. One after another. Up, up, up. I was stopping regularly and catching my breath and drinking water. There was a dad with his two kids (aged 3-5ish) in a stroller! He was taking them DOWN from the TOP! He had his dad helping (with a rope tied around his waist). I told them they were hardcore.

The top isn’t actually the end. There is another .5 miles to Angel’s Landing. But that half mile is up a cliff with chains to hold on to. Nuh uh. I’m not Nathan. I wasn’t doing that. So I caught my breath. Took some photos. Rested. And then headed back down. Downhill is so nice. I took plenty of pictures and encouraged people to keep going. It was worth it. It was a hard trek up, but damn it was worth it.

I worked on my junior ranger book some more and took the shuttle the long way back (the rest of the loop, instead of the fast track). I returned to my tent. I put my feet up and rested a bit. Then I headed into Springdale to grab some eats and use their wifi. And now after about 2 hours, I think I’m ready to head back to my site and tuck in for the night.

May 3rd-5th

I’m camped at Zion National Park, Utah right now. It is May 4^th, 2014. It’s been nice not blogging every night, though I have been keeping up with the tumblr and instagram accounts, so I’m still reporting my goings ons. It’s just easier to do from the phone. The blog. This blog. It takes a lot of writing, which isn’t easy when…hold on. I’m going to try something. I could install a blogger ap onto my phone, so that I could save posts on my computer, but then I realized for me to do that, I’d already have to be hooked up to WiFi in which case I’d just post from the computer.

Where was I? Oh yes. My lack of writing here. I’ve been keeping my written travel journal, so I’m not without record. I’m just writing in the journal I started in 2011 when Ma, Pa, and I went to Utah. So when (if) I finish it up, I’ll start a new journal. That way I am keeping with format. I have a bajillion other style of journals and sketchbooks packed. I’ve done a few drawings in one, but I am very much underusing the supplies I have on hand. Tomorrow is devoted to hiking and drawing, provided I get a camping spot. If I don’t get a camping spot…. Well I’ll figure that out later. I wanted to just pitch up a tent, spread out my stuff, and keep it like that for a few days. But that didn’t happen. So tomorrow I’ll try to find a first come first served spot in the South Campground. Fingers crossed!

I guess now is when I pick up where I left off: in a coffee shop in Los Angeles. Courtney let me crash at her place (well her parents) and that was nice. Got in a shower, and we ate tacos and watched TV. I was up early and out the door (I said a goodbye, I didn’t ditch her). The ghost town closed at 5, and I wanted to get there relatively early. There was about three hours between me and there, so off I went! I stopped in Barstow for fast food breakfast, and away I continued. It was a very not pleasant 90-100 degrees. I’ve been applying sun block and I’m not burnt (yet).

Calico Ghost Town…I could have arrived later. I think I was expecting more hikes or lengthier things to do. But also I guess I planned to allow myself time to draw, but it was ridiculously hot. Just 100 degrees and hot and the only A/C was in the shops and I didn’t want to buy anything. I did do a landscape drawing. Just one though. I need to be drawing more! I feel like I’m not. But I’m also just starting…I’ve got a long ways to go.

Anyway. I did the gold panning/mystery shack/mine tour trifecta. All were neat, but nothing too exciting. I think I just wanted more from the ghost town. I filled up my tank in Barstow, and headed to Las Vegas. That straight line across the desert to Las Vegas. That hot, continuous, hours of driving line. I kept hydrated. I didn’t push the A/C too much as to avoid overheating (I saw a sign saying to turn it off to avoid overheating, and I went by many parked cars with their hoods up). I listened to podcasts, drank water, poured the ice water out of my cooler, and pushed onwards. I stopped in Las Vegas for a pee break and ended up getting Subway because I hadn’t eaten much that day. I GPSed Valley of Fire State Park and off I went. I cruised through the rest of Las Vegas as the sun was setting and dang it was beautiful. Then the landscape became engulfed in dark. I pushed forward, and despite it not being late, I didn’t have much company on the road. I turned off towards the State Park. I began to dread a sign informing me the camp ground was full. I drove on and on. No sign appeared, but drivers came from the other direction. Oh no, was it full and they were turning around?

I arrived at the entrance and no sign informed me of it being full, so I grabbed a pay stub and headed in. I pulled into the first campground loop and grew anxious when spot after spot revealed no car but a tent staking claim. Then THEN campsite 19! Nothing was there to indicate someone wanted to be there, so I drove right in and plopped down my cooler. MINE! I went to pay, set my stub in the window, and set about getting my tent erected.

I had to clutch the flashlight in my mouth, but it went up all right. Tent spikes make everything much easier. All by myself! In the dark! And my first time with this tent (Dad helped last time and there were no tent spikes). I put my bedding in. I brushed my teeth. I got my jammies on and then I got comfy! And I read for a while.

Sleep was not easy, as it was VERY windy. Tents & wind = noisy. And it was windy all night long. I took the top cover off, and that helped, because the wind kept pulling it up and all around. Still, not the best night sleep.

I was up early and loved all the rocks that I could now see in daylight. Red formations, very familiar due to previous Utah trips. The bulbous formations. I took my time. I showered (free shower!). I nibbled some cheerios and drew and worked on my journal. I drove around the park a bit, and swung by the visitors center to see if they had any stamps (they did!) and then off I went to Zion. It was an easy drive. 2 hours? Cutting across Arizona on the 15 was nice. It took me through mountains and everything wound this way and that. I got some groceries in Utah, and then I continued on to Zion. Well actually I went to Kolob Canyons…because my GPS took me there. I didn’t look close enough at the map. So I back tracked. The Watchman Campground is reservation only, but there was a group site that the people didn’t confirm on or something, so I am now located on it with three other people: Kyle & Ron, and this other guy I haven’t properly met. And tomorrow I’ll have to get up early and pack up and hope I can score a spot in the first come first served camp ground. But if I can, I’ll just put in my tent and pack out some stuff, and then I won’t have to worry about it for the rest of the day. So here’s hoping! I don’t want to cut my time in Zion short.

5/5/2014

I’m in a coffee shop in Springdale, trying to connect to their wifi. I bought an iced mocha. I think this is my “coffee drink” now.

So Rob (not Ron) and Kyle made this hearty stew for dinner, and they shared with me! They were very good company for the night. We chatted about James Clavell novels, movies, and travel. They are sort of my travel opposites. Lots of Midwest, not a lot abroad. We had a plan to share a camping spot in South Campground, if we could find one. Just to make it easier. Had to get up early to nab a spot, but as I’ve now lost an hour due to time zone change (or gained? Oh wait it’s gained, I’m behind an hour). Anyway. Yeah. We sat around the campfire and there was a group of Western University Geology students in another group site, but they went quiet when it got late. I slept very well, and when my alarm went off I did not want to get up and pack. But I did. Kyle and Rob left before me, and I packed haphazardly.

I headed to the south Zion campground, which did not have a “full” sign, and looped around looking for Kyle and Rob, but I could not locate them (also the loops are totally stupid, and you have to start at the start after one loop). BUT I did find the walk in tent sites, and they were open, so I grabbed one, set up my tent, and paid for two nights! Two nights in Zion! So now I get two full days to explore and hike, and a third day to do whatever.

And I was able to unpack my car a little into my tent, so now I don’t have to deal with all my stuff. I can just enjoy the park. And I don’t have to get gas or anything. And I have food. Just gotta throw myself at hiking and art making.

6:33 pm

Okay I’ve obviously NOT found wifi. Argh. It’s all password protected and the coffee shops are closed and I don’t want to buy more treats.

Anyway. I drove up the scenic route, which went through the tunnel. This park lacks loops. Lots of go up and then go back down. The loop was nice. And the weather isn’t scorching hot! And the breezes come through at just the right time. Everywhere I look, I see lovely rock formations. It’s a really great place to be. I parked at my camp site designated parking spot and packed my backpack up with art making supplies and food: granola bars, baby carrots, celery, an apple. Good healthy eating! Of course I also ate some candy, but hey. I’ll burn off those calories post haste!

Today I set out to hike the emerald pools trails. There are lower pools (easy) middle (medium) and upper pools (difficult). I did them all. Though difficult just meant lots and lots of rock stairs for about a mile. Nothing I can’t handle. I did draw. And I got ink all over my hands in doing so. I think I’ll forgo ink for a while and stick to watercolor and pen. Hard not to look dodgy with ink staining your fingers.

At the upper pools, a squirrel stole my apple core! The cheeky bugger. I didn’t mean to feed the wildlife, but it took it upon itself to get fed.

I hiked the route back, oh I forgot to mention I went to the museum and saw the informational video. I took the shuttle, which is a smart thing to have in a park: just shuttle everyone up and down and there will be no congestion! I took the shuttle to the Emerald Pools/Lodge stop and got some ice cream and ate that while reading a bit of Where’d You Go Bernadette, and I got another crusher penny. Then I set out to the Emerald Pools hike. Anyway, returning from the hike, I took the route which dropped me off at the Grotto stop. Three signs on the trail said “The Grotto à .8 mile” Okay, a destination can’t be point eight of a mile away multiple times. Either way, I was proper pooped by the time I got on the shuttle back to the visitor’s center. I walked back to my campsite while eating the rest of my food. I tried to find wifi but thus far I have failed. You’ll just have to wait.

And follow my posts on Instagram (@totallytrillian) and Tumblr (travelswithtrillian). There’ve been plenty of those. It’s easier to post to those than it is to my blog.

7:02 pm

At the market in Springdale, they had the wifi symbol, so after I bought an LED lantern and some gummi cola, I asked for the password. AND NOW I’M CONNECTED! So I’m going to do some internet things, then go back to my tent and crash.

bruised but not burnt

I've done it! I've left Santa Cruz. My journey has begun. I feel like I have far too much stuff, but it's only been a day. Once I start using stuff, things will be organized better. I've already pulled a few items and tucked others. And maybe if I meet up with Ma & Pa, I can send them back to Washington with a few things. Or just mail things. Depends how cumbersome I start to find all my things.

I got ice for my cooler when my peanut butter was almost in a liquid state. The cooler make keep things from being 100 degrees, but it won't keep it cool.

Anyway, I'm skipping around. I'm currently in Los Angeles. It is 7:30 pm. I am at Caffe Martier in the Glendale Galleria. I picked this place because Courtney Coles, PNCA alumni and general awesome person, works here. She's great. And I'm probably going to crash at hers at the end of the day. But I'm skipping ahead once again.

SO! I left Santa Cruz! The sun had set when I departed, and it was proper dark when I procured my cooler from Wal Mart. I topped off my tank and tires at the Shell station, talked to Tara (we never had a full proper goodbye) and then I was off! Once I got past Monterey, it was all new road. I was missing what was surely beautiful scenery by navigating in the dark. But it was nice to take on the winding Route 1 roads at my own pace. I went past Big Sur. I started to have less headlights coming at me. I pulled off the road at 11pm. I knew the ocean was to my right. I could hear it, and I could see an absence of something. I changed into pajamas, rearranged my car, threw the seat back, wrapped myself in blankets and read a bit. Oh and I also took in the grandeur of the stars. That is one thing I'm really looking forward to: stars, sunsets, and sunrises.

The May 2nd sunrise was obfuscated by fog. It was a gray that unveiled the grand Pacific Ocean. I could see my little road winding before me. I had a long journey ahead of me, but I was free to go at my pace.

And since I was starting before 8am, I really had no urgency. I put on fresh underwear and a new shirt, brushed my teeth, and set off into the early morning. Traffic was light, and the weather was beautiful. All sunshine, ocean, and hills. I stopped in Cambria and bought some tea and a cinnamon roll. I ate those and walked around the town and took advantage of the cell reception. I saw the Nitt Witt Ridge, which was this funky house but the first tour of the day wasn't for a while. I continued on the road. I stopped in Morro Bay and got the sand between my toes. I just love the Pacific Ocean. I'll be sad to put my back to it. I was on 101 for a while. Through hills. I saw gas for under $4 so I topped off.

In Ventura, I went to the Channel Islands National Park and got my travel journal stamped. I watched the info video. I walked along the beach. I made myself a PB & J. I bought ice for my cooler and headed off for LA. Good and proper LA. 101 slowed to a crawl for such a long while. I parked (yay free parking) packed up my backpack, smacked myself in the face with the edge of my car door on accident, and strolled into the fancy mall looking very scruffy.

I bought an iced mocha because Courtney apparently makes very good ones. I do agree that it was VERY good. I enthusiastically consumed it. Courtney and I talked during her break. And now I am that person on their computer in a coffee shop who has only ordered one drink. I wonder how many times I'll be that person?

But yeah. I got a car full of stuff. Gotta do something with it! But if I end up setting up camp for several days, then I can unpack my more heavy duty art supplies and utilize them.

I don't know how often I'll be able to update this blog, so if you seek more daily updates check out:
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last sunset in Santa Cruz

Got up bright and early and Justin helped me haul my mattress off! With that out of the way, I spent the day sorting and getting stuff out of my room so that I could clean it. Sorting, packing, put things into proper boxes, just putting things in boxes. Moved it into the living room so that it would be the next stage packing area. I patched up the tack holes, I painted over some marks on the wall. It was also ridiculously hot.

But I got a good amount done.

At 6:40ish I walked down to The Pocket to meet Jeff for a few brewskis. And Ryan was there! And Chris showed up! It was another going away party, but totally a surprise. And Kara came too. We played pool (horribly on my part) and they all bought me drinks and I had too many drinks. I got home fine (Jeff gave me a lift), but I went right to sleep instead of packing.

And then I woke up hungover and it took hours to get going and down to business. And damn did business take a while! I sorted art supplies, I packed things, I reduced the amount of clothes I was packing, I went through toiletries. Packing for what is supposed to be a months long journey is hard. It feels like a lot of stuff, and I'm not sure if I'll use it all, but I also don't want to buy things that I would have been able to pack.

But right now I am looking at a pile of my stuff. I made a run to the storage unit. Hopefully my last run. I'm bringing bedding as well as the sleeping bag, because I feel like some nights it would be fine to just wrap up with a blanket. But anyway. Maybe I'll put a blanket into storage when I look at my car situation. I need to get a cooler. My first stop will be Wal Mart. They should have a cooler. Then I'll fill up my tank and head South on Highway 1 for LA and great adventure! Not planning on getting to LA tonight. Just maybe put a few hours of Santa Cruz behind me.

Well. I'm going to go pack it away. You'll be hearing from me next place I get wifi.

days remain

All that remains is my mattress, desk, and chair. All my shelves are out. Well actually no, one shelf remains. But I haven't put stuff into it yet. 9am tomorrow I am moving my mattress in, which means I can start packing stuff around it and to the back, instead of having to leave a corridor in my storage unit.

I went to Big 5 and got a tarp for my tent and some tent spikes. I couldn't locate a cooler in a good size. I'll probably get the cooler last, maybe on the road or something. Just swing into a Wal Mart on the way and grab one. I also got a backpack at Ross. A good sized one for day trips. Enough room for a jacket, a snack, and art making supplies.

And I made a post office run. I'm all set on stamps! Had a few things to mail out, so those are on their way. Ma & Pa, keep an eye on your mailbox!

So yeah, packed stuff away. Got yet another tub. This one is a "totally going on the trip" tub, so that I can put things in it while I sort other things. It's all getting whittled down, bit by bit! One big push tomorrow and that should be it. I want to be able to leave early on Thursday.

Day after tomorrow. Damn.

Oh, Tara and I axed apart my bed frame. It was fun. It'll be firewood!

I met Ryan for one final 99 Bottles pint night. It was New Belgium night. The sour beer was really good. Ryan won a pint glass. He, Anita, and Dan will be taking care of my plants. Here's to their survival! We had a good hug goodbye.

Hugs goodbye. :(

One more full day. Gotta get cracking!  But I'm so close to being there.